Wreath base



H. G. BUFTON WREATH BASE Filed Nov. 18, 1958 Mam Patented May 14, 1940 UNITED srars WREATH BASE Hubert Grifiiths Bufton, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Application November 18, 1938, Serial No. 241,244 In Canada November 20, 1937 6 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in wreath bases and methods of making same, which are particularly adapted for use by florists in making up wreaths and the like. The objects of the invention are to provide a base of low cost so that it is not economical to reclaim it after use; to provide a structure of suificient stifiness to support flowers, both during the making of the wreath and when on display at chapel or cemetery. A still further object is to provide a base through which light soft wires may be easily thrust without bending.

The invention consists of a wreath base of any desired design consisting of a paper pulp structure of substantially channel section having sufficient stiffness to support flower stems and. the like and being provided with zones of weakness capable of being readily pierced by a wire or the like for securing the stems, as will be more fully described in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the invention adapted for supporting a circular wreath.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of the screen on which the invention is made.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of a piece of the wire screen.

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view of the wreath base material after impregnation.

In the drawing like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

. The numeral I indicates a moulded base which is substantially semi-circular in cross section as shown in Figure 2 and is provided with a multiplicity of weakened zones 2 in its wall 3, which zones may be of any shape or size and which serve to facilitate the piercing of the wreath base with the wire which is used by florists in securing flowers and the like in position within the base.

The preferred equipment for making the bases includes a mould 4 which has imperforate side walls 5 and a bottom wall 6 made of wire screen I of fine mesh, such as the wire cloth used in paper making. The bottom wall 6 is covered with a plurality of discs 8, of screen material, which are held in position by any suitable means, or by discs 9, see Figure 4, of imperforate material, which may be formed by filling the area to be covered with solder to prevent the passage of water therethrough.

Paper pulp stock of suitable density is run into the mould 4, the water from the stock passes through the wire screen leaving a deposit of wet Wire pulp of any predetermined thickness and if the perforate discs '8 are applied to the screen a proportionately less amount of water will flow through them and consequently a relatively thin pulp layer It, see Figure 5, forms over them, so that the interior of the wreath base.will display a number of indents on its inner surface corresponding to the position of the discs 8 and the thin wall surfaces produced by the discs impeding the water flow through the bottom wall 6 will be weakened to a suitable extent for piercing. If the bottom wall is provided with imperforate discs 9, then the precipitation of pulp will only be on that portion of the wire screen which separates the discs and apertures ll, see Figure 5, corresponding to the discs will be present. When the wreath base formed by the precipitated pulp has been suitably dried, it is dipped in hot wax to fill up the pores of the paper to render it waterproof.

If the base is formed with apertures l I the wax will close up said apertures and in cooling will shrink to present a concave surface as at 12, thus leaving an indication sensitive to touch as to the zones of weakness in the fabric of the wreath base.

An alternative mode of manufacturing would be to spray thickened pulp onto a suitable mould until a desired wall thickness is built up.

It will of course be obvious that the invention may be made up in any desired shape according to the desires of the consumer.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A wreath base consisting of a paper pulp structure having a channel in which flower stems are adapted to be carried, said structure having a plurality of weakened zones through which flower fastening means are adapted to be thrust.

2. A wreath base consisting of a paper pulp structure having a channel in which flower stems are adapted to be carried, said structure having a plurality of relatively small zones of less thickness than that of the remainder of the structure.

3. A wreath base consisting of a paper pulp structure having a channel in which flower stems are adapted to be carried, said structure having a plurality of spaced apertures through which flower fastening means are adapted to be thrust, said apertures being filled in with a substantially Waterproof compound.

4. A wreath base consisting at a paper pulp structure having a channel in which flower stems are adapted to be carried, said structure having a plurality of weakened zones through which flower fastening means are adapted to be thrust,

said weakened zones having one face indented structure being coated with a waterproof compound.

6. A wreath base consisting of a channel? shaped paper pulp structure having a plurality of spaced apertures, said paper pulp structure being 6 coated with wax and said apertures being filled therewith.

H'U'BERT GRIFFITHS BUFTON. 

